President Luis Abinader acknowledged in his weekly press conference on Monday, 28 July 2025 that the Dominican economy has experienced a deceleration in its growth rate, a reality he stated the population is already feeling.
“We went from growing 5% to 2.7% or 3%, which is what we are accumulating… and I know the population is feeling it, the decrease in economic growth,” the President stated during his weekly press conference.
Despite this slowdown, Abinader affirmed that, amidst global uncertainty, the Dominican Republic’s economy remains “a beacon of international light.” He attributed the deceleration to external factors, specifically citing international circumstances influenced by new US government tariff policies, which contribute to global uncertainty.
He said efforts are focused on a targeted 3.5% growth rate for this year. Regardless the final outcome, the President said the DR expects to end the year posting regional growth only second to that of Guyana, with its special circumstances of new petroleum development.
During his presentation, President Luis Abinader announced a significant leap for the Dominican Republic in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, along with the remarkable achievement of lifting over two million people out of poverty in recent years. When speaking during his 28 July weekly press conference, the President highlighted the crucial role played by the private sector and civil society in implementing sustainable policies.
The Dominican Republic now ranks 52nd out of 167 nations evaluated, scoring 74.1. This represents a substantial climb of 21 places from its 2016 position of 92nd with 57.1 points. This progress places the country behind Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina, but ahead of regional powers such as Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Abinader stated: “This ascent reflects the constant effort and firm commitment to address global challenges like poverty, hunger, inequality, and lack of justice, all aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda.”
The President once again underscored success in official efforts to reduce poverty. He said official data shows the poverty rate dropping from 39.07% in 2012 to 18.98% in 2024, significantly improving the quality of life for millions of Dominicans. In rural areas, poverty decreased from 38.5% to 14.5% during the same period. Abinader asserted: “During our administration alone, we have lifted 200,000 people out of rural poverty. This is development with equality.”
The President highlighted his administration’s policy of making available Senasa government subsidized health plans that now cover most of the population that is not in formal jobs and thus is not covered by health insurance.
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La Semanal 28 July 2025
29 July 2025